Effectiveness and Impact of Play Therapy on Relationships and Behaviors

Throughout a child’s life there are a lot of factors (e.g., divorce, diagnosis, adverse childhood experiences (ACES), hospitalization, crisis, grieving) that can influence behavior. These behaviors have been studied through these different factors and a variety of family dynamics. Play therapy, suspected to have developed in the 1940’s to promote playing as a treatment for children. Play therapy, now, has developed into a focus involving social skills, emotion regulation, connection and relationship development, and anxiety reduction (Grant, 2016). As play therapy has developed further, it is often used in combination with other therapy techniques to improve a variety of problems that children face in development. This research synthesis conceptualizes what play therapy is and the cohesive process of the treatment according to research. Articles and research were chosen for this synthesis based on unique factors in children’s life and the use of at least one play therapy technique. While exploring play therapy as a process, research outcomes of play therapy in association with its effectiveness, parent-child interaction, and behavioral changes are discussed.